Investigators say Willard was arrested overnight in Lexington. He was booked in around 3:15 Friday afternoon at the Brunswick County Detention Center under a $500,000 bond.

Willard was sentenced to probation in 2012 after being convicted of two misdemeanor counts of soliciting crimes against nature, according to the NC Department of Corrections website.

Willard is known to have worked with children in a religious environment, and he was previously convicted of charges of a similar nature. Detectives encourage anyone who may have had contact with Willard and possibly been victimized by him to contact the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office.